Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy And YET another meeting....

Thanks a lot for the support - I needed it !

I have been talking to DD. Apparently she is very frustrated because she reads very slowly and cannot finish any book during her reading time.

So I told her that because she finds it difficult she does not want to try and becomes frustrated, then it becomes more and more difficult... I told her as well that she has too look at what she CAN do. One page? Ok, then next time, one page and half, next time a little bit more...
I remind her that a few months ago she could spell at all and now she is a champion.

I got her as well some very nice but very easy books to read and we read them together. She actually start recognizing some words and read them, which made her very happy.

She has told me as well which wall in her room is for the Spanish words and which one is for the Dutch words.

Before we read those books she told me that 'maybe she should be in Kindergarten'... I have the impression that she has the impostor syndrome.

I wonder if I should look for professional help.

It is really a pity that I cannot even apply to the Davidson Institute
(it is only for US residents).

This reminds me of the days I would get little notes from the teacher that DS had acted out at school. They always seemed to come on days when the children would exchange work with the child next to them to grade each other's work. Who thought that this was a good idea? On one occasion, a little girl wrote on DS's paper: Very Messy - You write like a Baby.

OK it was 2nd grade, so tact isn't fully developed, but it didn't encourage DS to work on his handwriting, just to 'give up' and 'avoid.'

From what I remember, perfectionism is an issue for your DD, I can't imagine her wanting to read aloud with an agemate if she is less good that what she considers good. Perhaps to ask her what she thinks a 1st grader should be able to do when reading aloud.

I am happy that the school is on your side. Perhaps they can find a regional resource for HG kids and call in some help? Would they conside looking internationally for an expert to consult? I am also happy that there is some progress, and that the word wall is motivating for her. My feeling is that she will probably 'blossom' very soon. Keep telling her the story of the Bamboo tree that grows a very strong root system for three years and then shoots up 30 feet tall. Perhaps it is even time to explain that bilingual (+) kids are growing a stronger root system than single-language kids, and that soon she will have what my son calls 'Mad Skills' and be able to read in so many languages!

Love and More Love,
Grinity

A totally irrelevant sidenote: I spent a month in the Netherlands with my then-boyfriend who was on a Fulbright there. All the Dutch I learned was from watching American soap operas in English with Dutch subtitles. I couldn't say anything, but I could read things like "I hate you!" and "It's not your baby!" really, really well!



Oh, and I learned my numbers from the sex chat line commercials that were on all the time. They said the phone numbers over and over while they showed the numbers. Very educational!

LOL! And I'll bet curses sound really good in Dutch. Not quite as good as German, perhaps, but still really gutteral and heartfelt!

My sister and I learned both French and German, so we always used to say that if French is the language of love, then German is the language of phlegm.

Acht! What does that make Hebrew?

Hmmm... Good question! Any ideas?